Porterville, CA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Porterville Municipal Code article IV, sections 18-50 through 18-54, restricts solicitation the city council found had become disturbing and disruptive to residents and businesses, citing article XI, section 7 of the California Constitution and Penal Code section 647(c) as its authority. Section 18-51 defines 'aggressive manner' to include intentionally touching the person solicited, following them or continuing to solicit after a negative response in a way intended to cause fear of imminent bodily harm or intimidate an affirmative response, blocking safe passage, or using obscene or abusive language or gestures for the same intimidating purpose.

Section 18-52 lists the prohibited acts: soliciting money, goods or services in an aggressive manner in any public area; soliciting inside a public transportation vehicle, bus station or stop; soliciting within 15 feet of any bank, check-cashing business or automated teller machine entrance or exit during that business's operating hours without the owner's consent; soliciting on private property after the owner, tenant or occupant has asked the person not to or has posted a no-soliciting sign; and soliciting a motor vehicle operator in traffic, including washing windshields or directing drivers to parking spaces, except for emergency repairs the driver requested. The article expressly preserves the constitutional right to solicit funds, picket or protest peacefully and targets only the aggressive or location-specific conduct described.